


Penalty Function

by opalmatrix



Category: Alliance-Union - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Friendship, Gen, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3090692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben should've thought twice before agreeing to the shopping trip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Penalty Function

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cordialcount](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordialcount/gifts).



> For cordial, who likes the Hellburner crew too. No beta!

The main shopping concourse on Pell glittered like the back end of a skimmer with a ruptured water tank, all ice and reflected sunlight. It was as jammed as _Brazil_ 's main airlock at call time, and Ben had to admit that nothing back in the Belt could compare to it. The goods in the shops were priced to Cyteen and back, and he was once again conscious of the low balance in his account.

"Hey hey," said Sal, ogling a shop window filled with seriously messed-up looking sweaters and skin-tight pants. "What about this one, Meg?"

"Not bad." Meg nodded. "But I think he needs a haircut first."

Dekker laughed, the bastard. "No way!" said Ben. "The deal was to go shopping with you. No one said anything about a haircut."

Sal whipped out her reader and jabbed at the keys. "Here we go. 'Accompany Sal and Meg on one dockside shopping trip at next port of call and cooperate with all legal activities during said expedition. Signed, Ben Pollard.'"

"She's got you dead to rights," said Dek. "Never heard anything about haircuts being illegal, even Unionside."

They dragged him along the concourse and stopped at a storefront that shimmered with multicolored lighting effects and holos of the latest hairstyles from Earth. Ben developed an instant headache. "Ooh, I do like that one," said Sal, pointing at an image of a pimped-out skuz with curls hanging in his eyes.

"A girl can dream, but jeune rab's hair isn't long enough to pull that off," said Meg. "How about that one?"

The man had his head shaved all around, and blond-striped bristles across the top. "Oh hell no," said Ben. "The _Manaus_ crew's gonna laugh their asses off. I won't be able to set foot in the rider lounge for months!"

"A bet's a bet," said Dek. "Be a hero, and I'll stand you a bowl of chips and a drink."

It was OK for Dek, thought Ben. Meg had him so whipped that he claimed to like her haircut choices for him. "No drink is worth this," he said through his teeth. Then he straightened his shoulders, pulled out of his partners' grips, and marched into the shop on his own two feet.

Dammit, they'd better appreciate the entertainment he was providing them. And that was the last time he mixed poker and Mariner vodka.


End file.
